Friday, October 12, 2007

Excursions

SunTemple (32 km): It is a famous temple of the Sun God at Deo and has a beautiful architecture similar to the KonarkTemple in Orissa. This place is famous for the 'Chhat' festival which is held in the month of October-November.

Pretshila Hill (12 km, Gaya): This hill adds to the beauty of Gaya. It is about 10 kms from the Ramshila hill. Just below the hill is the Brahma Kund. After taking bath in this pond people go for the 'Pind Dan' which involves performance of religious rites and offering donations and charity for the peace of souls of one's parents and ancestors. On top of the hill the Queen of Indore, Ahilya Bai, built a temple in 1787popularly known as AhilyaBaiTemple. This temple has always been an attraction for the tourists due to its unique architecture and magnificent sculptures.

VishnupadTemple (12km, at Gaya): In 1787 Queen Ahilya Bai built the Vishnu temple on the banks of river Falgu. The temple has some great architecture and design which attracts devotees and tourists alike. A 30-meter high octagonal tower overshadows this temple.

BarabarCaves (41 km): It is an important archaeological site. The caves carved out from solid rocks bear details of the life of the Buddha. The interior of these caves is chiseled to a wonderful polish. The carvings in the caves reflect the skill with which these caves were carved out. These caves were built in the 3rd century and are fine examples of the skill which the Indian mansion had attained at that time. These caves of Mauryan period are rightly considered to be the origin of Indian cave architecture. It was here in these caves where the Buddha had meditated for some time and concluded that the ultimate knowledge can not be attained through mortification of the flesh.